Sakura
Explora Journeys recently unveiled details on the culinary experiences for five of its outstanding onboard restaurants on Explora I. Among the ship’s 18 food and beverage venues, these restaurants offer guests superb all-inclusive menus that include unique signature dishes influenced by a variety of international cuisines.
Explora I is the first ship in Explora Journeys’ scheduled fleet of six ships. Explora I will set begin its inaugural season in July 2023; followed by Explora II in 2024.
Read more about the features and amenities onboard Explora Journeys’ ships – including the Ocean Wellness Program, Homes at Sea luxury suites, and the onboard enrichment and entertainment programs.
Refined Dining Experience
Sakura
Sakura (meaning “cherry blossom”) is a pan-Asian restaurant inspired by the ancient tea rooms in Kyoto. The menus embrace Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian cuisine. A specialist sommelier is available to advise guests on sake, shochus, and other Asian-influenced drinks.
Signature Dish: Wakame Salad, Smoked Madagascan Pepper, and Wagyu Beef Tataki
The Grade 5 Wagyu beef is torched, searing it at an extremely high heat, producing a melt-in-your-mouth experience. The signature dessert is a kaffir lime pavlova topped with mango and passion fruit.
Sakura
Marble & Co. Grill
Marble & Co. Grill is the ship’s European steakhouse with soft lighting and relaxed, attentive service that creates a mellow and inviting place to dine. The restaurant features a Dry Ager and well-stocked wine cellar.
Signature Dish: Grilled Prime Rib (aged for 30 days) topped with cherry tomatoes and Hollandaise sauce, Fingerling Potatoes
The beef is sourced from a producer of Jersiaise cattle in the Deux-Sévres region of the Loire Valley. The fingerling potatoes are crushed with Le Beurre Bordier butter from Normandy and topped with Calvisius Oscietra caviar from Italy.
Marble & Co. Grill
Med Yacht Club
The Med Yacht Club is a Mediterranean restaurant offering regionally inspired dishes from Italy, Spain, Greece, France and North Africa. Meals are presented via sharing plates, perfect to enjoy with friends and family.
Signature Dish: Grilled Octopus with San Marzano tomato sauce, Taggiasca olives, green beans and parsley
Taggiasca olives complement sweet San Marzano tomatoes, creating a perfectly balanced bed for the expertly grilled octopus. The signature dessert is a sweet caprese with cherry tomatoes, strawberries, burrata, and pesto.
Med Yacht Club
Emporium Marketplace
The Emporium Marketplace features cooking stations serving destination-inspired dishes like sushi, seafood, fine meats and pasta cooked to order. The Emporium Marketplace will also serve pizza, charcuterie and fromagerie, and fresh-baked bread.
Signature Dish: Handmade tortelloni, ricotta cheese, spinach, tomato-sage butter
Tortelloni originates in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region and they are made onboard from scratch every day in the authentic Italian way, beginning with carefully sourced flour. The signature breakfast is a plant-based chia yoghurt made from cashew milk – a perfect start to the day.
Emporium Marketplace
Fil Rouge
Fil Rouge serves French-inspired international cuisine in an intimate ambiance, allowing guests to linger longer. Decor and furnishings offer a tribute to timeless elegance.
Signature Dish: Bluefin Tuna Tataki with a crispy tomato-olive tart, vegetables and vanilla white pepper
The tuna, sourced from Cartagena Bay in southeastern Spain, is among the best-grade tuna to be found anywhere in the world. The tuna is seared at a scorching temperature before rapidly cooling it, leaving the centre rare – a time-honored technique.
Fil Rouge
The sixth restaurant, Anthology, offers menus curated by the world’s most celebrated chefs and pairings by illustrious winemakers for a one-of-a-kind guest chef experience onboard.
The Culinary Team
Explora Journeys’ world-class professional culinary team, balances contemporary techniques and creativity with a deep respect for regional culinary history. The team, led by Franck Garanger, Explora Journeys’ Head of Culinary, source and hand-select the finest ingredients from all over the world to create a palette of flavors that reflect the regional cuisines along each journey.
Explora Journeys’ sommeliers source boutique labels offering unusual, sometimes very rare, wines of unexpected provenance. A specially curated mixology program includes the signature Ocean State of Mind cocktail, as well as beverages uniquely designed to accompany specific regional menus.
Reservations Now Open
Inspired by the company’s European heritage, Explora Journeys will provide guests with an immersive ocean experience respectful and intuitive hospitality with its fleet of six ships – two of which will be powered by hydrogen. The ships will launch from 2023 to 2028. Equipped with the latest environmental and marine technologies, Explora Journeys will introduce a modern style of transformative ocean travel.
The first ship, Explora I, will begin its inaugural season in 2023, boasting 461 ocean-front suites, penthouses and residences, all with sweeping ocean views and a private terrace. The second ship, Explora II, is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2024.
SOURCE/IMAGES: Explora Journeys
